Kirsten Reviews: The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris

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by
Kt Clapsadl

The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris

The Game #1

A sarcastic storyteller traps three characters in his web in order to get hold of a special book.

Daniel,
Cassidy and Igor are three unique individuals, considered outcasts for
different reasons. They are about to meet and stick together, as
coincidences and forced situations lead them to a journey all around
Europe.

As everyone is after the Book of the Forsaken, the
coming Game is about to take place on the dark side of the moon. But
there is a cost to that knowledge. Let alone to the wish to partake.

"The Book of the Forsaken" got the gold medal on authonomy.com's HarperCollins UK hosted competition on Feb 1. 2012.

“An Irishman, a Frenchman, and a Russian trickster walk into a party with hidden agendas,” this from The Book of the Forsaken, by Yannis Karatsioris, which is the first book of 'The Game' series.

Its plot centers around three men who learn that they have supernatural powers. While the narrator can be assumed to be a character in the story, they don’t identify themselves, and instead prefer to use black humor and clever turns of phrase to tell the story. Whether the narrator is a god, or some other powerful being, the main characters are no more than ‘pawns’ or ‘game pieces’ that are moved to suit a larger design.

The book is fast-paced, and readers will find the plot moves along at such a pace that they’ve finished it very quickly. The three men, Daniel, Robert, and Igor aren’t friends, and were it not for this story and the powers they learn they have, none of them would have met.

The narrator doesn’t favor the ‘good guy’ Daniel over Cassidy, who embodies every stereotype of the Irishman, and Igor, the magician’s antics get equal time in the story.

Of course, even the most meek characters have to do one thing that sets them apart if they’re going to drive a story, and Daniel steals a magical book, and its through this book that he crosses paths with Igor and Cassidy. As usually happens with the sudden apparenace of supernatural abilities, there are others interested in the Book of the Forsaken, powerful beings, and a little bit of time travel. All of this combined with these three characters trying to reconcile the changes in their lives, and figure out their next best move.

The narrator is noteworthy for the great amount of control it has, and indeed, much of its role is revelling in just how little the characters can do to change their lives. In this way, at times it feels like a deity or other omniscient individual has a hand in this, at others the narrator is inviting the audience to enjoy holding some knowledge over Igor, Daniel, and Cassidy’s heads.

Overall, the book’s unusual style is enjoyable to read, although there are a small number of typos, and there are characters whose dialect is written out, the fantasy world seems promising, and the plot is enjoyable (although the characters might disagree).